Outdoors

Eton's Scorpion: multi-functional tool for adventurers

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Eton showed its SCORPION for the first time today at CES. It's terming the unit a “solar-powered, all-terrain, multi-functional unit”, but that really doesn't quite capture how impressive this ruggedised device actually is, particularly given its recommended price of USD50. For starters, power can come three ways: via solar panel, dynamo hand-crank, or DC adapter, allowing use anywhere. Its ruggedised appearance, aluminum carabiner clip and LED flashlight leave no doubt it is aimed directly at the adventurer, particularly so with its offering immediate detailed weather conditions via the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather bands. But wait, there's more ...

In addition to the necessities for wilderness adventure, there's also a digital radio tuner, and an audio line input, allowing you to play external music devices.

For all that, it's not as tough as it looks, carrying only a splashproof rating from Eton. Although it's clearly a fairly hardy device with much higher levels of durability than your average wind-up torch, if there was something else we'd be looking for, it'd be genuine waterproof and float when you drop it in the drink capabilities. At USD50, it's a winner, but I'd be more than happy to pay twice as much for the indestructable nature that full waterproofing offers.

The Etón SCORPION will be available in the first quarter of 2010, and we suspect it'll have extreme appeal to weekend warriors, particularly at just USD50.

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4 comments
Craig Jennings
I\'m sorry.... what does it do? The functions were a little scattered...
Ed
All these gadgets with these teeny-weeny solar cells on them are nothing more than gimicks. There is *NO* way that little solar cell could charge the batteries in this thing in less than 15 hours. Maybe a little less if you constantly align the solar cells to the sun as the sun tracks the sky!
DADDY JIM
Not much good if you can't start a fire with it !!! Just think of the fun you'll have sitting in the dark freezing your buns off and hearing how cold it's going to get! Put a spark igniter in the dang thing !!
Slowburn
If they used the triple layered ultra efficient solar cells like those on new spacecraft it would have plenty of collection area. But it should be fully waterproof.